15th September, 2025
Technology has always been a point of contention between the generations. Millennials complain that their Gen X counterparts don’t know how to use their phones, Gen Zs roll their eyes at Millennials’ lack of social media savvy, and Baby Boomers are seen as incompetent with tech (even when they’re not).
But, jokes aside, generational views on technology can actually be a real issue in the workplace. For accounting firms, it’s the digital expectations of younger employees, particularly those just entering the workplace.
Gen Zs and younger Millennials are digital natives, they grew up with computers and mobile phones as a standard part of their lives. They’re early adopters who use their phones for almost everything.
Because they’re used to seamless, integrated digital services — details that pop up into empty fields, simple sharing between apps and phones, consistent experiences between devices — they expect the same from workplace software. Legacy systems, which can be slower, less integrated and clunkier to use, don’t quite meet those expectations.
Why should accounting practices care? The industry is facing a growing talent shortage: 77% of respondents in our recent Accounting Industry Monitor report said a shortage of talent is their biggest issue.
Filling staffing gaps means attracting younger workers to your practice, and keeping them there. If your practice is still using older software, it could be a real barrier to your hiring and retention. Candidates who value flexibility, speed and functionality are likely to look elsewhere.
Here’s what you need to know about the digital divide.
A lot of accounting practices stick with legacy software because they’re concerned about the cost of an upgrade. That is, they see the cost of retaining legacy software as minor slowness, frustration and maybe some extra IT costs for integrations or updates. The bad news? The true cost is much higher.
Legacy software is often desktop-based and outdated. As a result, it can have a dated UI, with lots of manual inputs. This means more clicks to share documents between systems and no ability to work from home. Workflows can be siloed and slow, with rekeying and repetition as standard. No wonder 55% of practices cite legacy systems as one of the main blockers of efficiency.
Many older systems don’t offer the kind of smooth, seamless experience that workers — particularly those in younger age brackets — expect. As a result, practices using these systems might see employee morale dropping, turnover increasing and a competitive disadvantage.
On the other hand, upgrading can pay off in time savings, efficiency and retention. 58% of practices in our survey said they noticed time savings after investing in AI, automation and workflow digitisation.
The upshot? Not modernising can be more expensive for your practice than that seemingly-daunting tech upgrade.
Thanks to accounting enrolments declining by almost half since 2018, the sector is facing a significant talent shortage. CA ANZ reports ongoing shortages across 11 accounting and auditing occupations, and predicts that an additional 31,000 accounting professionals will be needed across Australia by 2028, which will be difficult with current student levels.
What does this mean for accounting practices right now? With so many openings, applicants have the upper hand, which means practices have to meet their needs if they want to attract top talent. Younger professionals won’t necessarily tell you what they want, they’ll just go elsewhere if another practice gives them a better offer.
Young accountants want flexibility and work-life balance, along with remote work options and a collaborative work environment. They’re looking for workplaces with opportunities for growth and professional development. While they might not list technology as a top requirement, as digital natives, they also want tools that are integrated and simple, with minimal roadblocks or disruptions.
Attracting and retaining young talent isn’t just about technology – but it does help. 85% of progressive firms in our survey said that digital-first experiences improve outcomes for employees.
MYOB Client Accounting in Practice Compliance is a great example. As part of our cloud Practice Compliance platform, it’s an accounting tool built for the modern world. Seamless integration, in-platform collaboration, client portals and digital approvals are all designed to make life easier for employees.
Processes connect, which means fewer disruptions to work, and cloud access supports work-from-home options and flexible hours. Like the everyday tools your young employees are used to, the tool is intuitive and streamlined, with no need for complex workarounds or shifting between platforms.
Built-in AI features help reduce the admin burden. This means more time for client-facing and strategic work, which is a benefit for the 80% of practices that want their employees to be seen as ‘strategic advisors’.
Client Accounting isn’t just about employee engagement. It standardises the collection, preparation and delivery of financial compliance, with pre-set workpapers and statements. AI Assistants map fragmented client data into ledgers for accurate financial statements without the same time investment.
Essentially, this means there’s a single structured workflow for every ledger, client or task. Whatever you and your team are doing, workflows through the same platform, with no need to jump between spreadsheets, exports, folders or software systems. Notes, details and documentation stay with the task or document, creating a shared source of truth and a clear, accessible audit trail.
Whether you’re using a template for a new tax return, piecing together a yearly report, or reviewing a colleague’s documentation, you get a seamless, connected experience without extra steps or clicks.
Reducing time-consuming admin and cutting steps from key workflows helps you boost productivity in your practice without impacting compliance. Compliance workflows and worksheets are made for Australian practices, supported by local expertise and continual product updates. As the work of accounting practices shifts away from compliance and towards strategy, it’s invaluable.
Collaboration tools, document sharing and client portals change the way you serve your clients. Automation and AI give your clients a clean, consistent experience, with documents, queries and approvals all handled on a single platform. You have less clunky email communication, fewer lost documents, more stress-free collaboration and happier clients.
Looking for a way to attract and retain talent, enhance client service, and boost productivity for your accounting practice? MYOB Practice Compliance is a connected, end-to-end solution for compliance workflows, built for today’s practices, and today’s talent.
Find out more about Client Accounting in Practice Compliance now.
Information provided in this article is of a general nature and does not consider your personal situation. It does not constitute legal, financial, or other professional advice and should not be relied upon as a statement of law, policy or advice. You should consider whether this information is appropriate to your needs and, if necessary, seek independent advice. This information is only accurate at the time of publication. Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of the information contained on this webpage, MYOB disclaims, to the extent permitted by law, all liability for the information contained on this webpage or any loss or damage suffered by any person directly or indirectly through relying on this information.